Basque pelota blog in english – Dos paredes

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO –BARRIOLA beat BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU 22-13

A narrow loss to Titin and Merino last week aside, Berasaluze and Albisu had been going excellently in recent rotations. They must surely have come into this match at a teeming Idiazabal with high hopes of toppling Irujo and Barriola, who were looking to stave off a third loss on the bounce. However, in a match which was not always pretty, the favourites battled from 2-6 to 15-8 and maintained a comfortable margin to the end. Irujo clearly had the better of Berasaluze, who was too error prone to maintain any lasting pressure. He managed nine winners to three errors, and while his forward rival beat him nine times, he also lapsed on seven occasions. The defenders were slightly more evenly matched, but the figures give an accurate indication of a Barriola who was more in control than his young counterpart Albisu. Irujo and Barriola rise to second, while Berasaluze and Albisu slip below them into third.

Scoring sequence: 1-0/5-1/6-2/7/8-15/10-15/11-17/13-18/13-22

Winners/errors: Irujo 9/3, Berasaluze 9/7, Barriola 2/1, Albisu 0/3

Match time: 52 minutes with 21 minutes of actual play. Balls hit: 449

OLAIZOLA II-BEROIZ v ARITZ LASA-PASCUAL* Suspended at 14-9 due to an injury to Pascual

Aitor Zubieta was replaced by Inigo Pascual in Tolosa due to an injured hand, and it was extraordinary bad luck for he and partner Aritz Lasa that his replacement succumbed to a strained back soon after. Lasa and Zubieta badly need points and this misfortune robbed them of any chance, though in reality a win against the top pair would have been unlikely. Neither has it done much for their points difference; while Olaizola and Beroiz had begun to accelerate away when the injury occurred, they were not completely out of the running and would likely have minimised the damage at the least. As it is, Olaizola and Beroiz now have their seventh win and stay resolutely on top, while Lasa and Zubieta only have two and are second from bottom.

TITIN III-MERINO* beat ARRETXE II-BEGINO 22-12

Arretxe and Begino travelled to Logrono with a mountain to climb if they wished to secure their first win of the competition. Titin and Miguel Merino, playing in place of his brother David who has an injured hand, were the favourites here and had the added advantage of a home Riojan crowd. The underdogs started well and tracked their rivals closely before drawing alongside them at 8-8. Begino showed some of his true class early on, taking the game to Merino but when the latter found his form, Begino had Little answer.Titin was far more potent tan Arretxe, who continues to appear rather out of his depth in the top flight.

Scoring sequence: 4-0/ 4/ 7-4/ 7-5/ 7/ 8-7/ 8/ 14-8/ 14-9/ 16-9/ 16-10/ 20-10/ 20-11/ 21-12/ 22-12

Winners/errors: Titin 12/2, Arretxe 8/4, Merino 2/2, Begino 1/4

Match time: 56 minutes, Balls hit: 488

Titin III out did Arretxe II with ease

In the Promocion Championship, Urrutikoetxea-Otxandorena* beat Gorka-Arruti 22-13, Mendizabal III-Penagarikano beat Lemuno-Aretxabaleta 22-14, Apezetxea*-Larrinaga beat Tainta-Mendizabal II* 22-10, and Ongay*-Cecilio beat Rico IV-Untoria 22-17.

Photo: mine

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Sunday 22^nd January, Bilbao

OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – BARRIOLA 22-15

It is unusual for an early stage round robin match to feel like a final, but from the packed house at Bizkaia, the electric atmosphere and the ruthless desire and intensity inherent in the play, it appeared every bit like one. The Pairs Championship has been craving this match, a head to head between the two pairs who have proved themselves head and shoulders over the opposition. There had been little high octane excitement in the competition up until this point, with too many matches ending in a landslide, so the fans resolved to enjoy this clash of the titans to the hilt. The result will probably mean little in the final analysis, for all these pairs need to do for the moment is make sure they saunter into the semi finals, but Olaizola II and Beroiz took a victory for morale, first blood, and inflicted upon Irujo and Barriola quite a body blow in a match which scintillated from start to finish.

There were two distinct periods in the match, one in which the pairs were so evenly matched that they could not be prised even a centimetre apart, before Aimar opened his shoulders to seize the day, supported by a fabulous Beroiz. As in any match involving Aimar and Irujo, most of the interest focussed on them in the latest round of their rivalry. Last time they met, Aimar rattled Irujo like never before in the Cuatro y Medio final and it seemed that here, his victim was in no mood to concede again, nostrils flaring and eyes glaring as he hurled himself after every ball. The defence of both the forwards was staggering; somehow, they sent spiralling back balls which appeared like sure fire winners and which probably would have been against many professional opponents. Both also induced gasps in attack. Aimar’s service return on 2-1 had to be seen to be believed; Irujo certainly appeared utterly incredulous as he saw the ball rip past him to his right, dipping to the base of the frontis and falling with incredible placement into open space. No less fabulous was Irujo’s dos paredes at 6-8 which found an almost unfeasible angle to dig him and Barriola out of a dreadful hole.

While the stellar forwards fought tooth and nail at the front, there was a no less intriguing battle playing out behind between experience and youth. Barriola is the consummate defender, a seemingly impenetrable wall, impossible to crack. 21 year old Beroiz, however, is not fazed by reputations and threw himself headlong into a war of attrition. Each attempted to grind the other down with patience and nerve and while each was stunningly good, Beroiz held the aces. Not only did he return the long ball with metronomic ease, but he also joined in attack, notably with a txoko winner out of the blue at 12-10. Asegarce must be beaming all over their faces at their signing of Beroiz from Aspe, for he is assuredly the real deal.

From 13-13, the Asegarce pair started to edge ahead and it appeared as if for the first time someone had grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns. On 15-13, Aimar and Beroiz got themselves into an extraordinary mess but somehow pulled themselves out of it to win the point, and it seemed as if this might finally break Irujo and Barriola’s resolve. However, a careless error from each threw the momentum away. For many pairs, this may have been a moment of panic and game changing frustration, but for Aimar it provided all the incentive he needed to seal the deal. Four crosscourt winners from the rampant defending champion, plus two errors forced by tactical mastery won the game as Irujo and Barriola became suddenly impotent in the face of a team both mentally and physically at the height of their powers. True, this win is little more than an early salvo but the confidence it will have given the victors may prove a vital edge when it really matters.

Scoring sequence:  2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-3, 5-3, 5-9, 11-9, 11-10, 13-10, 13-13, 16-13, 16-15, 22-15.

Winners/errors: Olaizola 12/5, Beroiz 1/2, Irujo 7/5, Barriola 2/2

Match time: 1:10.15, with 35:38 of actual play

Balls hit: 709

Mikel Beroiz: the real deal

Image: mine

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Friday 13^th January, Larrainzar

MATCH ABANDONED for injury to Arretxe II, resulting in heavy ‘win’ for Berasaluze VIII and Albisu

Iker Arretxe and Aritz Begino were already the underdogs here, and the match had barely started before disaster struck. A searing strike from Jon Ander Albisu struck Arretxe in the head. He was forced to leave the fronton in considerable pain and was transferred to Pamplona by ambulance. After staying in overnight for observation, he was released with no lasting damage or complications and is now on the road to recovery, hoping to play this weekend. While Arretxe’s health must obviously be the main consideration here, this stroke of bad luck is a near disaster for he and Begino, who have yet to win a match and now have an effective 1-22 ‘loss’ against their names.

Saturday 14^th January, Pamplona

Business as usual for Olaizola II and Beroiz at Labrit

Favourites Aimar Olaizola and Mikel Beroiz wasted no time at all in crushing the dangerous pairing of Oinatz Bengoetxea and Alexis Apraiz 22-9. Olaizola was in imperious form, hitting home 12 winners and pulling off some impressive volleys to which Bengoetxea had no reply. Beroiz played with steady assurance, providing an outstanding platform. The favourites went up 13-0 initially and were never troubled, in a game which lasted 48 minutes and took 482 strikes of the ball. This was their fourth win in a row and they remain unbeaten. The vanquished pair have two wins and two losses.

Scoring sequence: 13-1, 14-2, 15-3, 16-4, 18-5, 19-8, 20-9, 22-9

Winners/errors: Olaizola 12/3, Beroiz 1/1, Bengoetxea 5/6, Apraiz 0/3

Sunday 15th January, Logrono

Xala and Laskurain open their account at fortress Rioja

Yves Salaberry and Aritz Laskurain had endured a surprisingly bad opening to the championship and needed a result against the home favourites at Adarraga. At first, things seemed to be going against them yet again as they ceded a 105 lead, but in the end pressure told. They played excellently as a team, taking advantage of a slight off day for Titin and Merino II who try as they might could not keep their noses in front. The Riojans have lost on three occasions now and will be looking to improve. For Xala and Laskurain this is an assured step in the right direction but it is they who have the more work to do.

Scoring sequence: 0-3, 1-3, 1-5, 9-5, 9-6, 10-6, 10-7, 14-7, 14-8, 15-8, 15-9, 15-10, 18-10, 18-13, 20-13, 20-15, 21-15, 21-16, 22-16

Winners/errors: Xala 10/3, Laskurain 2/1, Titin 8/6, Merino 3/3

Wednesday 18^th January, Mungia 

Martinez de Irujo and Barriola show their class

Juan Martinez de Irujo and Abel Barriola showed no mercy in taking Aritz Lasa and Aitor Zubieta apart on Wednesday, cruising to a 22-7 win. Irujo had no problem at all in controlling the front of the court, leaving a hapless Lasa chasing for scraps. The man from Gipuzkoa was utterly outclassed. Barriola continued to be solidity personified at the back, making only one error to Zubieta’s four, although Zubieta’s cause in defence was hardly helped by the vapidity of his partner. Things have gone steadily downhill for Lasa and Zubieta after their excellent opening win over Xala and Laskurain; they must believe that they can rise to these heights again. For their opponents it was business as usual, but they will undergo a sterner test this weekend against Olaizola II and Beroiz.

Scoring sequence: 6-0, 8-1, 16-2, 16-4, 17-4, 17-5, 17-7, 22-7

In the Promocion Championship, RICO IV – UNTORIA beat LEMUNO – ARRETXABALETA 22-14, GORKA – PENAGRIKANO beat JAUNARENA – CECILIO 22-12, OLAZABAL – LARRINAGA beat MENDIZABAL III – LADIS GALARZA 22-17 and URRUTIKOETXEA – IZA beat TAINTA – ARGOTE 22-20.

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Friday 16th December, Sestao

OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ beat BERASALUZE VIII – ALBISU 22-10

Aimar Olaizola is likely to be the favourite in almost everything he enters just now and that was certainly the case here. He does not have a long history of playing with Mikel Beroiz, who only transferred to Asegarce from Aspe in the summer, but on the strength of a series of good results together including an exemplary campaign at the San Mateo tournament, they were paired together. This opening match assuaged any doubts as to the worthiness of the 22 year old Beroiz, who played a flawless match in support of his illustrious partner, raising their stock in this championship still further.

The pair in blue could not possibly has made a better start to their assault on the txapela, storming to a 7-0 lead with minimum of effort. Berasaluze started badly, gifting his opponents the first three points with unforced errors. Some might have complained more vociferously when in the fourth point Aimar unintentionally got in his way in hitting a winner to the corner, but Beraslauze knew he was beaten, nodded as if to acknowledge his opponent’s superiority and moved on. Aimar controlled the next two points with consummate assurance, demonstrating his tactical nouse as well as his ability to conjure winners of brilliance, and an Albisu error sealed their early dominance. The red pair managed their long overdue first point thanks mostly to a slight breakdown in communication from the favourites but they did not seize the chance presented to them to get back into the game as the blues built their lead to nine at 10-1.

It was not until the score stood at 2-11 that Berasaluze got into his stride, hinting at a possible comeback. Four winners in a row from the effervescent forward halved their deficit and the man from Berriz finally showed the crowd what he could do with two winners to the corner and a scintillating cross court airez followed by an unreturnable serve. It was thanks to Albisu, hitting high, that they could not capitalise on their new found momentum; while Beroiz hit powerfully and metronimically, the young debutante was inconsistent and ill at ease. Both pairs accumulated points in ones and twos in the next period of the match. Berasaluze’s determination and will prevented the points deficit from increasing, but he and Albisu could make no progress against the control of Aimar and the inpregnability of Beroiz. Two Berasaluze winners gave the underdogs some hope as they arrived at 10-15, but from there the floodgates opened and they failed to score further. Four of these points came from the hand of Aimar who was so much in the ascendency that he appeared almost nonchalant. A low strike from Berasaluze sealed the deal as Asegarce’s most fancied pairing chalked up their first win in some considerable style. 

Scoring sequence: 0-7, 1-7, 1-10, 2-10, 2-11, 6-11, 6-12, 6-13, 8-13, 8-15, 10-15, 10-22.
Service winners/errors: Berasaluze 2/0, Olaizola 0/0
Winners/errors: Berasaluze 8/3, Olaizola 12/2, Albisu 0/5, Beroiz 2/0
Match time: 54:16 with 26:49 of actual play
Balls hit: 518

An excellent start for Mikel Beroiz

Photo: mine

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Many apologies for the lack of recent updates; I have been in France and unable to post. I missed the San Mateo final as a result, but I can report that it was won by OLAIZOLA II -BEROIZ, comfortably beating MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – MERINO 22-13 at Adarraga. Quoted by Asegarce, Olaizola stated that they had been focussed from the start, with Beroiz playing a good game and himself taking the sting out of Irujo’s pace. Beroiz, for his part, expressed his delight at winning his first title for his new empresa. Olaizola was named the undisputed player of the tournament, continuing in the final where he had left off in his devastating hammering of Berasaluze VIII in the previous match.

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Sunday 18th September, Logrono

OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ beat BERASALUZE VIII – BEGINO 22-5

Aimar Olaizola was in devastating form in the opening match of the San Mateo tournament, putting to the sword Pablo Berasaluze and champion defender Aritz Begino in staggering fashion. He amassed sixteen winners and nobody else managed a solitary one. The game started competitively, with the sides drawn at 3-3, but from there the floodgates opened. Berasaluze has been in fine form in recent weeks, but here he was taken apart as Aimar displayed the full range of his shot making, pulling off nine gantxos, two dejadas, four volleys and a beautiful dos paredes. By the closing stages, Berasaluze appeared to have given up, utterly outclassed and without a hope of stemming the tide. Begino did what he could to keep Olaizola out of the game, but it was to no avail. Beroiz was an excellent support from deep, making only one error and providing Olaizola with immaculate service with which to work his magic. The victors play Titin III and Zubieta on Friday; it remains to be seen whether the former can do anything about the Goizuetarra’s elemental force.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 3-11, 4-11, 4-14, 5-15 , 5-22

Match time: 38 minutes, with 16 minutes of actual play

Service winners: Olaizola 2, Berasaluze 1

Winners/errors: Olaizola 16/0, Berasaluze 0/2, Beroiz 0/1, Begino 0/3

In the San Mateo encounter on Saturday 17th, MARTINEZ DE IRUJO and MERINO I beat BENGOETXEA VI and PATXI RUIZ 22-13. The losers will have to defeat Xala and Laskurain on 2oth to stand any chance of progressing.

Berasaluze was taken apart by Aimar

Image: mine

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Bilbao’s inaugural summer tournament, the Torneo Aste Nagusia, is taking place this week at Bizkaia. The first semi final was held on Wednesday, and saw a 22-19 victory for TITIN III – MERINO II over OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ. It was a tough match, lasting well over an hour and involving 810 strikes of the ball, but the closeness of the final scoreline belies the reasonable ease with which the Aspe partnership triumphed. They lost the first point but after that were never headed, despite being held to 4-4 and 9-9. They opened up a gap with the finish line in sight, leading 17-12 and 19-14. Olaizola and Beroiz, still inexperienced as a pairing, pulled themselves back into it at 19-19, but lost the next three points to cede the match. The losers played well in spurts but neither had their best day, while Merino in particular played excellently.

Scoring sequence:  0-1/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 6-4/ 6-5/ 8-5/ 8-7/ 9-7/ 9/ 10-9/ 11-10/ 11/ 12/ 17-12/ 17-14/ 19-14/ 19/ 22-19

Last night, Titin and Merino II learnt the identity of their final opponents, as BERASALUZE VIII – BEGINO beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – LASKURAIN 22-14. The game was intense, but the Asegarce pair won with some confort. They were tracked closely by their opponents in the early part of the match, but from 8-8 onwards Berasaluze opened his shoulders, dominating Irujo on his way to ten winners in the match. Irujo gave him far too many gifts and his adversary had the form to capitalise. The final will be held tomorrow.

Scoring sequence: 3-0/ 3-1/ 4-1/ 4-2/ 5-2/ 5-4/ 7-4/ 7-6/ 8/ 13-8/ 13-11/ 15-11/ 15-12/ 17-12/ 17-13/ 18-14/ 22-14

Pablo Berasaluze, flying high

Source: Aspe, image from reta

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Friday 19^th August, San Sebastian

XALA – LASKURAIN beat OLAIZOLA II – BEGINO 22-18

The first San Sebastian semi-final ended with a far tighter score line than might have been expected. Xala and Laskurain proceeded to today’s final at the expense of Olaizola II and Begino, but what had looked like an easy win was momentarily put in jeopardy by a comeback which almost gave the reigning Pairs Champions licence to dream. The early part of the game was close, with the pairs tied at 1-1, 2-2, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6. Both forwards looked as if they were shaping up for an epic duel. Four of Olaizola and Begino’s six points in this spell came from the former’s brutal airez, which he seemed able to sling into open space at will. Xala replied to his virtuosity with some wonderful tactical play, showing himself capable of wrong footing Olaizola, and countered his opponent’s venom with some most improbable defensive efforts. Begino made a brace of errors and Laskurain one, but generally speaking, both defenders seemed the perfect foils for their attacking forwards.

However, Xala and Laskurain broke the deadlock. They edged ahead when Begino was rendered completely baffled by a ball he imagined Aimar would take. Xala’s two txoko winners, separated by a missed attempt at the same shot, gave them a 9-7 lead, and they added eight points without reply, sweeping to 17-7 and the brink of triumph. Xala was the main instigator of this run of points, drawing gasps from the crowd with the pace and precision of many of his winners, whether cross court or into the corner. However, the real difference here arguably lay with the defenders; as Laskurain grew in stature, continuing his scintillating form from Zarautz, Begino looked increasingly lacklustre and gave Aimar, who only committed his first error with the score at 7-16, little room for manoeuvre. With an attack dulled, and Xala seemingly able to retrieve anything, the game looked to be up.

The momentum of the pelota match can change dramatically with the serve, and the blue pair won it back with a cross court winner from Aimar which, for once, left Xala reeling. He took the next two points in addition, hitting to the corner with total command. It seemed as if the sun had finally begun to shine on the trailing pair when Begino finally found some magic and struck the rebote, much to Laskurain’s visible chagrin. 11-17 seemed a little healthier; another few points and the opening was there. However, the advantage was lost once again when Aimar rushed into a txoko and hit it low. His fury with himself was plain to see. Begino let the deficit out further with an inexplicable miscue, but they came back to within five with a deceptively easy swipe into a clear court from Aimar, another rebote from Begino and a rare error from Laskurain. A ball from Xala into Aiimar’s body and a slip from Begino gave the reds match point at 21-14, but still the blues fought, two Aimar winners and two Laskurain errors bringing the score to 21-18. However, the dream comeback was ended with a typically clinical airez from Xala.

Xala and Laskurain were the better pairing for the majority of the match, and made hay while Begino suffered a lengthy lapse. Xala barely put a foot wrong, hitting 12 winners to 2 errors. Aimar managed 10 winners to 2 errors, signalling a solid evening from the multi txapela winner, but one in which he failed to break through Xala’s excellent defences for sufficiently long periods. Laskurain, until the very end, played a solid and astute game, acting as a near perfect foil for Xala’s venom.

Scoring sequence: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-4, 3-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5, 6-6, 8-6, 8-7, 17-7, 17-11, 19-11, 19-14, 21-14, 21-18, 22-18.

Winners/errors: Xala 12/2, Olaizola 10/2, Laskurain 3/4, Begino 2/5

Match time: 1:04.16, with 24:04 playing time

Balls hit: 488

The Manomanista Champion, Xala, is in excellent shape

Saturday 20^th August, San Sebastian

MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – ZUBIETA beat BENGOETXEA VI – BEROIZ 22-21

Irujo and Zubieta will join Xala and Laskurain in the final tonight, having beaten Bengoetxea and Beroiz by the narrowest possible margin on Saturday. The Asegarce pair was ahead for almost the entire tense encounter, though their lead never grew to more than four points. They were tracked closely by Irujo and Zubieta, who showed their nerve at the death, coming from 18-20 and saving a match point to draw level, before seizing the decider for a 22-21 win after 82 minutes and 609 strikes of the ball. The match was partially overshadowed by the consequences of moisture on the fronton, which made a noticeable difference to the stability and confidence of the players from 18-16 onwards. Atano II has suffered and overcome this problem in the past, and investigations will surely commence. Happily though, all four players emerged unscathed.

Scoring sequence: 2-1/ 5-1/ 5-2/ 5/ 7-5/ 7-6/ 8-6/ 8/ 9/ 10-9/ 13-9/ 13-10/ 14-11/ 15/ 17-15/ 17-16/ 18-16/ 18/ 20-18/ 20/ 20-21/ 21/ 21-22

Winners/errors: Bengoetxea 8/6, Irujo 8/4, Beroiz 0/6, Zubieta 1/5

Irujo will face Xala in the final

 Images from soloespolitica.com, Deia

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Tuesday 9th August, Vitoria-Gasteiz

BENGOETXEA VI – BEGINO beat OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ 22-18

It took 888 collisions of ball and hand to decide the outcome of the Virgen Blanca pelota tournament, the traditional sporting accompaniment to the Basque capital’s fiesta of the same name. 888 strikes of attrition, determination and venom from four of the game’s top players, none of whom would lie down without a gargantuan fight. The game swayed one way, and then the other, and then back again, as each attempted to make their mark. The two forwards, Aimar Olaizola and Oinatz Bengoetxea, were tantalizingly matched, the former having had an excellent year and the latter, winner of the San Fermin Cuatro y Medio, most alive in the summer months for the second year running. These two greats of their generation were equally matched almost throughout, but while most eyes were on them, it was in the back division where this marathon was decided, with the seven errors of Beroiz to Begino’s one proving the difference.

Momentum was firmly on the side of Bengoetxea and Begino in the opening portion of the match. Bengoetxea conceded the first point with a wide gantxo, but he stormed into affairs in the rallies that followed, with two classically worked winners before a forward fight with Olaizola went his way. The next three points brought Beroiz into the game, in a far less than positive manner. The young defender committed three unforced errors in a row, the third undoing all the sterling defensive work of Olaizola in front. At 1-6 down, the red pair had to act, and act they did, coming slowing but surely back into the game. Bengoetxea granted them the serve with a miscued txoko, which would have proved a dramatic winner had it worked. He suffered five more lapses before the scores drew level, making life very easy for Olaizola, who nonetheless reminded all and sundry of his virtuosity with a brutal and classic sequence of shots to the corner and then cross court to leave his opponent floundering. The eight-time txapela winner had clearly upped the pace, and Bengoetxea struggled to match him. Not content with reaching 9-9, the reds marched on past their rivals, most of the dirty work completed by Olaizola, who continually forced Bengoetxea into ever more desperate defence, before delivering the coup de grace. Even Beroiz, now growing in belated confidence entered into the battery, hitting a winning txoko while haring forward to cover for his partner. The score moved to 14-9, and 17-12, and the leaders looked solid as rocks.

Bengoetxea, served excellently by the absolutely unflappable support of Begino, began to chip away at the red lead, taking a point here and there to keep his pair in touch. He seized the momentum back with a vengeance with the score at 14-18, breaking through the shackles placed on him by Olaizola, and taking advantage of the platform provided by his partner. A cross court swipe into Olaizola’s body brought him within three points. Olaizola must surely have thought he had won the next point with a txoko, but his indefatigable rival returned it with interest, whipping a txoko of his own out of the top drawer. The reds began to seem rattled, and the next point did little for their state of mind, when the referee deemed a ball to Beroiz to have bounced twice before he hit it. Beroiz thought otherwise, and let his view be known. The television replays were inconclusive. A change of serve here might have been Olaizola and Beroiz’s salvation, but they then proceeded to lose a monster rally, in which the blues drew level at 18-18 after a heartless salvo from Bengoetxea beat them into submission. The point which took the score to 18-20 saw further heartbreak for Olaizola, who thought he’d pulled off the most stunning gantxo winner of the night, only to hear the telltale clunk which signaled the ball had fallen fractionally low. It was perhaps fitting that the final two points were conceded by Beroiz, whose inconsistency had proved the difference. The new Asergarce signing appeared to have lost his ability to fight, fatigued and broken after a truly mammoth match.

Bengoetxea provided the glamour of this victory, dramatic even when things did not go his way, breathtaking when they did. However, the jury rightfully awarded the player of the tournament award to Begino, the unsung, metronomic, powerful, unmovable hero of the hour. As for Olaizola and Beroiz, this was their debut as a pair, and there are many positive things onto which they can latch. When he was on song, Beroiz displayed power which belied his years, and his rearguard defence was often exceptional. He and Aimar worked well as a pair, and but for some telling errors at crucial moments, they looked an extremely promising partnership. But on Tuesday night at least, the spoils went to Begino and Bengoetxea, the calm and the fury.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-6, 3-6, 3-8, 4-8, 4-9, 14-9, 14-10, 15-10, 15-12, 17-12, 17-14, 18-14, 18-22.

Aritz Begino: man of the week

Image from Noticias de Gipuzkoa, by Iban Aguinaga

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Saturday 6th August, Vitoria-Gasteiz

OLAIZOLA II – BEROIZ beat MARTINEZ DE IRUJO – MERINO II 22-13

Aimar Olaizola and Mikel Beroiz, are inexperienced as a pair, given the latter’s only recent transfer to Asegarce, but they hit the ground running in the first Virgen Blanca semi final. They were always ahead on the scoreboard, and gave their rivals, Juan Martinez de Irujo and David Merino little look in. The gloss was taken off the match as a contest by the problems experienced by Merino with his right calf, which prevented him from playing to the best of his ability, but this is not to devalue the class of the winners’ performance. Olaizola put Irujo to the sword, hitting with brutality and ruthless precision on his way to thirteen winners in the match. Irujo, whose attacks were almost always rebutted, managed to pass his rivals only five times. Merino sought to keep the game from the forwards in order to protect his colleague from the onslaught, but it was to no avail, as the Asegarce pair sailed into the final. Merino for his part is expected to play again this week, as his injury, while impeding, proved to be a relatively minor strain.

Scoring sequence: 1-0, 1-1, 5-1, 5-4, 9-4, 9-5, 11-5, 11-6, 12-6, 12-9, 14-9, 14-10, 17-10, 17-11, 19-11, 19-13, 22-13

Winners/errors: Olaizola 13/4, Irujo 5/4, Beroiz 1/4, Merino 0/1

Duration: 81 minutes

Balls hit: 638

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